VIGILANTES EMERGE AMID HAITI STRIFE

By JOSEPH B. TREASTER, Special to the New York Times

Published: November 25, 1987

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Nov. 24—
As more violence broke out in Haiti and Government security forces remained mainly on the sidelines, some Haitians began organizing themselves as vigilantes this week to try to insure that presidential elections would take place as scheduled in five days.

At least two groups of more than 8,000 people have formed neighborhood defense groups in a section of the capital and in a poor suburb to the south, saying they hope to create ''zones free of violence and fear'' so that people can vote next Sunday.

As some of the first international observers began arriving, elections officials said that they still did not have the use of helicopters promised last week by the Government, but that two helicopters rented in Miami were expected to arrive soon. Until 10 days ago the army-dominated provisional Government had refused even to discuss security or support for the elections.

At noon today, a young man was shot to death on a downtown sidewalk in the heart of the capital, apparently as a part of the terror campaign against the elections that started more than three weeks ago and resumed Monday after two relatively quiet weeks. Road to Airport Blocked

The road to the international airport was blocked with a series of flaming barricades and most stores and offices in the capital were closed for a second day. Early this morning, the body of an unidentified man was dumped on the sidewalk in front of the home and private school of Gerard Gourgue, one of the leading presidential candidates.

There were few soldiers or police officers on the streets and none at the national elections headquarters, which was among several targets hit Monday. But during a shooting attack last night on the headquarters of Marc Bazin, another leading presidential candidate, a group of passing police officers killed two assailants.

In the capital Monday night, a group of patrolling vigilantes ambushed and killed a man carrying gasoline and matches who they said was apparently preparing to set fire to the biggest fruit and vegetable market.

Monday night the third largest open-air market in the capital was destroyed and several election sites and candidate offices were attacked with gunfire as the terror campaign resumed.

Election officials said the number of volunteer election workers had jumped dramatically in the last two days.

''People want the elections,'' said Dr. Louis Roy, who is organizing the volunteers. ''They are rising up under this pressure.''

At national election headquarters, workers were building a defensive bunker and for the first time one private guard was armed with a shotgun.